Hermann richard schreiber



(No Model.)

H. R. SGHREIBBR. RESONATING SUPPORT FOR PIANOS.

Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

I'IERMANN RICHARD SOIIREIBER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

RESONATING SUPPORT FOR PlANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,498, dated March 28, 1897.

' Application filed December 11, 1896. Serial No. 615,358. (No model.)

To all who/7t 2115 may concern;

Be it known that I, IIERMANN RICHARD SOHREIBER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing atLondon, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Resonating Supports for Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in resonating supports for pianos; and the object of my improvement is to connect the sound-board of the piano itself with the resonating support in such manner as to strengthen and improve the quality of the tone of such pianos. I attain this object by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view from above of my improved resonating support. Fig. 2 is a view of the same from the back, showing the sup porting-wedges. Fig. 3 is an end view; and Fig. 4, a transverse section through the line 00 1 Fig. 1.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the views.

A is a resonator or sound-box consisting of a flat or slightly-arched sounding-board a, made of wood or other suitable material, the said sound-box being carried upon a separate wooden frame provided with casters at its corners by which it can be readily moved about together with the piano, which is placed upon it, but can be easily lifted off when desired.

The frame consists of two strong wooden end beams c 0, having recesses d d to receive the ordinary casters of the piano, which drop into them, but without touching them. The end beams c c are connected by a narrow wooden beam 6 at the back and a similar beam f at the front, curved, as shown in Fig. 1, to suit the shape of the piano and the po sition of the player. Above the frame so formed is fitted and fixed a thin flat (or slightly arched) sounding-board a, and below the frame is fitted and fixed a similar flat sounding-board g, which is acoustically connected with the upper one by one'or more sound-posts 'i. The ends of the piano rest firmly upon the end beams c c, the upper surfaces of which are raised somewhat above the upper surface of the upper sound-board a.

In order that the desired eifeet may be obtained from the separate sound-box or resonator, it is necessary that the back of the piano, which contains the soundingboard proper and the strings, should be acoustically, but solidly, connected with it. As already explained, the ends of the piano rest upon the end beams c c, which carry its whole weight, the casters hanging freely in the recesses d, the lower edge of the back of the piano at It being somewhat above the back edge of the soundingboard a, leaving a longitudinal space 7o between them.

In order to connect the back of the piano with the sound-board (1, of the resonator, I use a number of wedges Z, of wood or other good cond uctor of sound, the narrow edges or points of which I introduce into the opening 7.; from the back, and I drive the wedges gently in until (without taking any perceptible part of the weight of the piano off the end beams c 0) perfect acoustic connection is made by them between the back of the piano and the soundboard g. In this way I obtain results much superior to any which have ever heretofore been obtained without straining or injuring the piano itself in any way and with facility for tightening, adjusting, or varying the pres-- sure between the piano and the scund'box or resonator whenever desired.

Instead of four wedges, as shown, any de sired number may be used. For instance, a single wedge extending the full length of the opening 7t may be used.

As the piano when placed upon the resonator is raised some distance from the floor, the ordinary pedals would be too high to be conveniently used. Accordingly I arrange additional pedals m m in front of the sound box A, which are connected with the pedals a of the piano by adjustable wires or rods 0, Figs. 1 and 4..

p 1) represent transverse stays below the sounding-board (t.

I am aware that it has been proposed to use an additional sound-box arranged at the bottom of a piano, but it has never been found possible to make a simple and effective connection between the sound-board of the piano and the additional sound-box or resonator, and such arrangements, therefore, have been more or less unsuccessful. By my present invention, however, the connection is very simply and easily made, and the piano can be removed or replaced and connected with the sound-box without the slightest difficulty, and a great increase of power and fullness of tone are obtained.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a resonating support for pianos and similar musical instruments, the combination with the end beams c 0 having recesses therein to receive the casters of the instrument, and of such size that the casters themselves will not touch said end beams when the instrument rests thereon; the back strip 6 having its ends secured to said end beams, and closing the back of the resonator-box; the front strip f also secured at its ends to said end beams, and curved inwardly in such a manner as to conform to the shape of the instrument, and to not interfere with the feet of the performer; the upper and lower sound ing-boards a and g secured upon said strips and end beams, and both cut away at their forward edges to conform to the curve of said front strip f; a plurality of transverse stays secured across the under side of the upper sounding-board a; sound-posts mounted between said upper and lower sounding-board; and casters provided upon said end beams, substantially as described.

2. In a resonating support for pianos and.

similar musical instruments, the combination with the end beams c 0 having recesses therein to receive the casters of the instrument, and of such size that the casters themselves will not touch said end beams when the instrument rests thereon; the back strig 0 having its ends secured to the said end beams, and closing the back of the resonator-box; the front strip f also secured at its ends to said end beams, and curved inwardly in such a manner as to conform to the shape of the instrument, and to not interfere with the feet of the performer; the upper and lower sounding-boards a and g secured upon said strips and end beams, and both cut away at their forward edges to conform to the curve of said front strip f; a plurality of transverse stays secured across the under side of the upper sounding-board a; sound-posts mounted between said upper and lowersounding-board; casters provided upon said end beams; and a pair of auxiliary pedals pivoted within the front of said resonator-box, and means for connecting said auxiliary pedals to the pedals on the instrument, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

llElUIlNN RICHARD Stllllllilllllll.

lVitnesses:

ARTHUR E. EDWARDS, JOHN H. SMITH. 

